Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com has written a really important piece about mental health in the NBA. The piece’s main subject is Larry Sanders, but it’s this opening passage that I’d like to highlight: “We don’t do a very good job with mental health,” said an NBA team executive as he looked down at the sad contents of his boxed lunch and sighed. “We don’t have any answers, and we’re not doing a good job looking for them.” This was three years ago
The NBA lost one its pioneers with the death of Earl Lloyd. As a former teammate of my dad, Dolph Schayes, I had the pleasure of speaking with Earl on many occasions. He was a man of tremendous grace who seemed timeless. A quiet man never without a smile, Earl was a tremendous presence in any company. Earlier this year I said goodbye to another pioneer that I’ve known forever. In the 1980s my Denver Nugget teammate Kiki Vandeweghe and I were
After a busy 14-game Friday in the NBA, fatigue might be a factor this evening. Multiple superstars were available last night with five-digit salaries but the pickings are relatively slim tonight — only two healthy players cost more than $8000. [Read more…]
H.G. Wells once said, “success is to be measured not by wealth, power, or fame, but by the ratio of what a man is, and what he can be.” Well, I know this to be true. The late Dean Smith was a giant of a man, a giant of a coach and lived a life that can be called unparalleled because he meant so much to so many. He built and sustained a legacy and a fraternity of players and coaches that
Earlier this week, we ran a blog post that led with the fact that Andrew Wiggins is running away with the Rookie of the Year race. What the post did not fully explain is how far ahead Wiggins is when compared to the rest of his classmates. It’s more than the injuries to fellow 2014 draft picks such as Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon and Julius Randle which propelled Wiggins to the head of the class almost by default. It’s more than Wiggins
We have a nearly-full slate of 14 NBA games on Friday. Making sense of them and trying to sort out the best opportunities is a first step to picking the right players in DFS contests. [Read more…]
The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Thursday, February 26 with two games between contenders. There were extraordinary statistical feats in both outings, including a triple-double and a 42-point eruption. This is how it all transpired. [Read more…]
Nobody hates standing around in locker rooms more than basketball reporters. But if the player you are seeking to interview is not there when the media is allowed inside for a 30-minute pre-game access period, you know what you have to do? Wait around. Same thing post-game. If a guy is taking a shower, or getting treatment, or lifting weights … you stand around and wait. It is part of the job, it is somewhat demeaning, and I can see how it